Review of Maritime Transport 2025: Staying the Course in Turbulent Waters

In 2025, global maritime trade continues to navigate an environment marked by volatility, rerouted flows and uncertainty.Persistent geopolitical tensions and trade policy changes have altered shipping patterns, with many routes redirected away from traditional chokepoints.Maritime transport and trade face daunting challenges.Ships that once passed through the Red Sea in days now sail for weeks around the Cape of Good Hope.Freight rates are high and volatile. Port disruption is becoming chronic. Supply chain reliability and resilience are being put to the test.Longer routes have increased delays, costs and emissions, with developing countries hit hard by the disruptions and uncertainty.Deep transitions are also reshaping the sector. Technological, environmental and geoeconomic shifts are converging at a speed that requires rethinking how maritime transport operates.Alternative fuel vessels now represent over half of the ship tonnage of new orders, yet over 90% of the active fleet still